Worm-Lizards: The Strangest Creatures You've Ever Seen

Imagine a creature that looks like a cross between a snake and a worm, but is also a lizard. It sounds impossible, but it is actually a reality – this is the unusual appearance of the amphisbaenian lizard. These creatures still remain extremely mysterious to scientists, because they are so secretive that they can go decades without being seen by people. But sometimes such amazing encounters happen. For example, a new species of worm-like lizard was recently discovered in Brazil, and this is a great reason to talk about these amazing creatures.

Worm-like lizards: the strangest creatures you've ever seen. Amphisbaenia are some of the strangest and most secretive animals in the world. Image source: herpeton.ru. Photo.

Amphisbaena are some of the strangest and most secretive animals in the world. Image source: herpeton.ru

Contents

  • 1 Who are the two-horned reptiles?
  • 2 A hybrid of a worm and a snake?
  • 3 How are amphisbaenians structured?
  • 4 The most secretive animals in the world?
  • 5 A new species of two-horned reptile?

Who are the two-horned reptiles?

Amphisbaenians, or two-horned reptiles (Amphisbaenia), are a suborder of scaly reptiles that includes more than 180 species. Their name comes from ancient Greek words meaning “round trip”, which accurately reflects their unique ability to move forward and backward with equal ease. These creatures look so unusual that they can easily be confused with worms or snakes, although they are actually lizards.

Who are the two-worms? From a distance, amphisbaenians really do resemble earthworms. Image source: animalreader.ru. Photo.

From a distance, amphisbaenians really do resemble earthworms. Image source: animalreader.ru

Worm-Snake Hybrid

The main feature of the worm is its cylindrical, worm-like body, covered with ring-shaped folds of skin. These rings not only give them a worm-like appearance, but also play an important role in their movement. Worm-like creatures can crawl like snakes, but their main ability is to compress and stretch their torso, which creates the impression of a crawling worm. This technique is especially useful for their underground lifestyle.

A hybrid of a worm and a snake. Diopods feed on insects and other invertebrates. Image source: reddit.com. Photo.

Diopods feed on insects and other invertebrates. Image source: reddit.com

How amphisbaenians work

Another amazing feature of diopods is their unusual skull. It's unlike the skull of most other reptiles: they lack some of the bones that lizards typically have, making their heads more massive and adapted for digging. Some species even have heads that are shaped like shovels, irons, or beaks — all to help them make their way underground.

How amphisbaenians are built. The head of amphisbaenians is perfectly adapted for digging the ground. Image source: wikipedia.org. Photo.

The head of an amphisbaenian is well adapted for digging. Image source: wikipedia.org

While most amphisbaenians are completely limbless, members of the genus Bipes still retain short front legs, which makes these creatures even more strange. In addition, unlike many snakes and lizards, amphisbaenians have a developed left lung, not a right one, which again distinguishes them from other reptiles.

How amphisbaenians work. Some amphisbaenians have small paws. Image source: reddit.com. Photo.

Some worm-lizards have tiny feet. Image source: reddit.com

The World's Most Secretive Animals

Interestingly, the two-tailed ants rarely come to the surface, preferring to spend their lives underground, where they hunt insects and other invertebrates. Some species even live in anthills and termite mounds, and for some reason, aggressive ants tolerate their presence, which makes these creatures even more mysterious.

The most secretive animals in the world. Some amphisbaenia have not been seen by people for decades. Image source: iflscience.com. Photo.

Some worm-lizards have been out of sight for decades. Image source: iflscience.com

Worm-lizards are masters of hiding. They lead such a secretive lifestyle that some species may not be seen by humans for decades. For example, the Somali sharp-nosed snake (Ancylocranium somalicum) remained invisible to science for over 90 years until it was accidentally discovered in Somaliland in January of this year.

You might be interested in: The most inconspicuous animals in the world – try to find them in photographs

A new species of snake

Recently, scientists discovered a new species of water squirrel in the mountains of Brazil – Amphisbaena amethysta. The mysterious creatures were found during ecological studies in the northern part of the Espinhaço mountain range. To make sure that they really were a new species, the scientists carefully studied their structure and conducted DNA analysis.

A new species of water squirrel. Water squirrel Amphisbaena amethysta. Image source: iflscience.com. Photo.

Amphisbaena amethysta. Image source: iflscience.com

The new species of amphisbaenian about 26 centimeters long has a typical amphisbaenian appearance: a pink body that becomes browner toward the tail. Like other amphisbaenians, this species is adapted to life underground, which explains its small and almost invisible eyes.

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